Filing cabinet



Aug. 8, 1933. c. A. FINLEY 1,921,387

FILING CABINET Filed June 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l IF m M M M m M 0 8642 e 0 i Z 3 n v K 3 MM A v 2.3 4:4..4 m 22 0 k 4 l v 4 2 m a Aug. 3,1933. A FI Y 1,921,387

FILING CABINET Filed June 10. 19:51 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 l atented Aug. 8,1933 UNITE STATES PATENT orries 1,921,387- FILING CABINET Charles A.Finley, North Tonawanda, N. -Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc.,Buffalo, N. Y.

Application June 10, 1931. Serial No. 543,469

8 Claims The present invention relates to improvements in filingcabinets and more particularly to improvements in cabinets for visibleindexes.

In the construction of, filing cabinets of the visible type heretoforeproduced, a pluralityof partitions extend longitudinally of the cabinetand act as bearing surfaces for index slides or trays placed therein.Channel members are placed laterally of the cabinet for spacing thepartitions and aid as guiding and retaining members for the index slidesplaced upon the various partitions. These channel members are prone tobulge and deform, under certain conditions of use, and produce a bindingaction upon the sides of the: index trays whereby the various slides ortrays are removed from andreplaced in the cabinet withodifficulty. Y 7

Further, it has been found that the retaining members formed at thefront end of the partitions for engaging the stop members attached tothe index slide follower, under certain conditions of use, as forinstance when the slides are withdrawn rapidly to the forward position,are bent and discabinet.

V The instant invention provides a cabinet of a construction whereinsupplemental members are provided within the spacer channels to preventcompression of the flanges thereof and in addition to provide a"modifiedform of construction at the forward end of the cabinet toproduce a compact and rigid structure therein whereby bulging of thesides of the casing of the cabinet is eliminated.

In the drawings attached hereto:

the cabinet.

Fig, 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along theline 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the supplemental spacer members in place. r

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a supplemental spacing member. v Fig. 4 is aview in perspective of the improved two part cabinet partition. v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken substantially alongthe-line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the improved partition construction, theindex tray follower stop member and the relationof the retaining memberof the partition with respect to the spacer channels. Fig. 6 is afragmentary view an improved channel .mer'nber.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, cabinet 10, shown herein asa visible index type in perspective of torted by unusual stress put uponthe front of the cabinet, is provided with the usual top 1 1, side walls12 and 13, and rear wall 14, of a suitable construction as for instance,sheet metal. The side walls 12 and 13, are formed with spaced endshaving inwardly projecting flanges thereon at 15 and 16, and marginalflanges 17 and 18 providing inwardly opening channels 19 and 20 forreceiving spacer channels and partition fingers therein. I The'spacerchannels 25 are of the type shown in Fig. 6, and are nested and retainedwithin the inwardly opening channels 19 and 20 formed by the flangedportions 15 and 16 of the side walls. The rear wall 14 is formed withflanged portionsupon the sides, as at 21 and2 2 for engagement with theflanges 15 of the side walls and with a flange 23 at the bottom thereoffor attachment to the bottom of the cabinet. Partition members 24 arespaced vertically by the channel members 25. g

The spacer channel is shown in Fig; 6 and is provided adjacent its endwith a portion 26 of gradually increasing width whereby a bearingsurface 27 is produced for engaging with the sides cf the index tray asshown in Fig. '2. The channel is further provided with stepped portions28 and 29 adjacent its ends upon the flat or web portion of the channelfor cooperating with the. flanges of the sidewalls as shown in Fig. 2and for cooperatingwith the flanges 21 and 22 of the. backplate 14 ofthe cabinet.

When the channel members and the partition are placed-in'position' inthe cabinet, there is provided a receiving space or compartment 31 forthe index slides or trays 32. As shown in Fig. 2 a tray comprises anindex, card receiving portion 33 and afollower portion 34 hinged theretoso that when the tray is removed from the cabinet the index portion ofthe tray carrying the index. pockets and cards 35, in overlappingrelationship is in a depending position so that each card may be readilyobserved and read. 7

As noted hereinabove, when the cabinet is sub jected to extraordinaryusage the flanged portions 36 and 37 of the channel member 25-sufiercompression" and distortion whereby the base plate or web 38 of thechannel member is caused to bulge outwardly and bind the trays of thecabinet. To eliminate this a supplemental spacer member 39 is insertedwithin the channels for preventing distortion of the side flanges of thechannel andfor preventing bulging of the back: or webbed portionthereof, This supplemental member, in the herein describedv embodiment,shown in Fig.3, consists ofastrip of material such as sheet metal, whichhas been deformed at spaced intervals to provide laterally extendingportions therein. The supplemental spacer strip therefore comprises asubstantially straight edge as at 41 with offset portions 40 formed inthe strip.

The supplemental spacer member is placed within the channel members 25with the straight edge of the reenforclng strip substantially in contactwith the webbed portion 38 of the spacer channel and with the offsetportions extending outwardly from the web and offering spaced struts forthe flanges of the spacer channel whereby movement of these parts towardone another is prevented and whereby bulging of the web is prevented.The supplemental member is shown in place in Fig. 2, in the manner asdescribed.

Bulging of the web of the channel spacer with consequent distortionthereof and of the partition member 24 is substantially reduced byproviding a two part partition comprising a bearing plate 42 for thetrays and a cooperating member 43 at the front of the partition whichprevents any warping or bending in the front of the partition caused bybulging of the channel spacer members or by excessive pressure placedupon the partition wall by the underlying index tray follower.

This construction is shown in Fig. 4 wherein the two membered partitionis provided with an offset portion 44 at the front end thereof to whicha heavy cooperating strip 43 has been attached in any suitable manner.The strip 43 is provided with a retaining member 45 and two extendingfingers 46 and 47 at the ends thereof. The fingers 46 and 47 are adaptedto be retained within the inwardly extending channels found in the sidewalls as at 20 and to hold the partitions securely in place thereinagainst any distortion caused by the inadvertent bulging of the spacerchannels or by excessive stress and pressure of the followers 34.

The lower flange of the spacer channel is provided with recess portions,one at 48 and a second recessed portion at 49. This lower flange 3'?rests upon the partition 24 as in Fig. 5, and the offset 48 in theflange of the channel rests upon the offset portion 44 of the partition,providing a rigid and cooperating construction. The second recess 49covers the ends of the retaining member 45-and prevents undue bending ofthe member in an upward direction when engagement is made with the stopmember 50 of the follower 34. The upper flange of the channel member isprovided with an offset portion 51 upon which the partition and theretaining member rests as shown in Fig. 5.

The showing in broken lines indicates the relation of the follower 34between two partitions before engagement with a retaining member 45 andthe full lines show the position of the follower after engagement withthe retaining member and indicates the close cooperation of that memberwith the partition wall connected above it so that undue movements ofthe follower are eliminated and the strain put upon the upper partitionsubstantially reduced.

The cooperating members 43 at the front of thepartitions serve to tiethe side walls 12 and 13 of the cabinet together through cooperation ofthe fingers 46 and 4'? in the inwardly facing channels at the front endof the cabinet to prevent outward bulging of the side walls under theweight of the trays and record members in the cabinet and during thehandling of the cabinet, or other strains or stresses to which theassembled structure may be subjected in use or transportation. Thesecooperating members also serve to provide a rigid stop and supportingstructure for an extended tray through cooperation of the lip 45 withthe complementary parts of the tail piece on the tray.

What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet for index trays comprising a casing, partitions in saidcasing, spacer channels between said partitions; a supplemental memberin said spacer channels having a substantially straight portion adjacentthe web of said channel and spaced offset portions for supplementing theflanged portions of said channel.

2. A cabinet comprising a casing, partitions in said casing, spacerchannels between adjacent partitions; supplemental strip members placedin said channels longitudinally thereof, and spaced lateral projectionsupon said members extending between the flanges of said channels forpreventing movement of the flanges thereof.

3. A cabinet for index trays comprising a cabinet casing, spacerchannels placed within said casing, supplemental strips within saidchannels, and bi-rnemberedpartitions between said channels having astrip at the forward end thereof of greater strength than the otherportions of said partitions for cooperating with said channels toprevent distortion of the cabinet when the trays V are in the withdrawnposition.

4. A cabinet for index trays comprising a cabinet casing, spacerchannels placed within said casing, index trays within said casing,partitions between said channels for supporting said trays having astrip at the forward ends thereof serving as retaining members for saidtrays and for engagement with the forward end of said channels forsupporting and supplementing the same.

5. A cabinet for index trays comprising 9. casing, a plurality ofpartitions contained therein, spacer channels between said partitionsfor spacing the same, said partitions having combined supplementing andretaining members secured to the front free edges thereof and havingmeans engaging with the sides of the cabinet for preventing distortionthereof.

6. A cabinet for index trays comprising a casing, a plurality of spacerchannels in said casing; a two-part partition member between saidchannels, one part of said partition acting as a bearing surface for thetray of said cabinet and another part attached to said first part forengaging with the sides of the cabinet for supplementing the same.

7. A cabinet comprising side walls providing inwardly opening channelsand marginal flanges, a bottom wall secured to said side walls,twopartitions having end projections extending into the channels of saidside walls, one part of said partition acting as a bearing surface forthe trays of said cabinet and another part attached to said first partfor engaging with the sides of the cabinet for supplementing the same.

8. A cabinet for index trays comprising a casing, a plurality of spacerchannels in said casing, and a strip bent to engage inner portions ofsaid channels for maintaining the side walls thereof in constant spacedrelation.

CHARLES A. FINLEY.

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